The Smoke Thieves is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series, featuring an ensemble cast of (you guessed it) young adults from different countries and walks of life, whose paths and fates converge in unexpected ways. You’ve got a princess, a thief, a demon hunter, a servant, and a soldier who all play important parts in events as kingdoms come to a clash in a new war. Their choices will affect not just their own lives (and hearts) but the course of nations.

This was an enjoyable read. This is definitely a fantasy series with more of a human motivation/political intrigue angle than and wizards-and-fireballs angle. The human side of the world is interesting in its own right, and then how the author worked demons and magic into it adds a twist I hadn’t really seen before. The characters you’re supposed to like are all likable/relatable enough. The villain(s) are clear from the get-go. Maybe a little too clear; I do like my villains to operate more in a gray area than just being outright vile, but it works for this book. The story has a good pace. It’s a nice mix of action, romance, intrigue, and introspection. As the author jumps around to different characters with each chapter, you get to see events converge from several angles, which I appreciate when done well (and this is).

It does have a few problems. Some of the “main” characters tended toward being a bit one-dimensional, while one of the secondary characters is actually (so far, to me) the most interesting character in the story. It’s got the dreaded YA love triangle. And I have some questions about the big reveal regarding the magical stuff; namely, how this is only now becoming known/an issue when its been around for centuries. (This vagueness is me attempting to avoid spoilers).

But overall, if you like fantasy intrigue and you’re looking for a somewhat unique and lighter YA read, give this a try. It just came out this week, and I’m already waiting for book 2.

I give it 3.5/5 stars.

I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book from Penguin Random House First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

Currently I’m a bit over halfway through (due in August). It’s true that pregnancy itself is a whirlwind journey, but even getting to this point was also a long road. I had asked if people would be interested in reading a post about that, and the answer was overwhelmingly yes, so this is that post. It also serves as a sort of explanation for why this blog fell by the wayside for much of 2017 and so far this year.

—>>>>>>>If you are squeamish or don’t really want TMI details, I’d advise you to stop reading now. Otherwise, buckle in, because this is going to be long and rambly.<<<<<<<

Going off the pill

We got married in fall of 2015. And we wanted to enjoy a little bit of time as a married couple before bringing kids into the picture. We’d already been together 6+ years at that point, so we didn’t feel the need to wait too long. So in the summer of 2016, I officially went off of birth control. Now, I had been on some form of the pill since I was 19, and had never taken a break or gone off it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall, not too much changed, aside from the length of my period. I had been on the shorter period pill, and to suddenly go from only 3 days of bleeding to 6 or 7 was not a plus. Ian’s comment on this: “You normally bleed a whole week each month?! That’s like a 4th of your life!” Yes, dear; it’s called the female existence.

My first 2 cycles off of the pill were fairly standard. 28 days, then 30 days. Then… 49 days. This led to lots of home pregnancy tests (negative) and wondering where the f*** my period was at if I wasn’t pregnant. I asked my OB/GYN at the time about this at my annual exam soon after. She said it was normal for the body to take a few months to sort itself out after going off of birth control (we found out later this is not true, but more on that further on). And since my cycle wasn’t being predictable, I started using ovulation test kits to see when exactly I was dropping eggs and likely to get pregnant (SO MUCH peeing on sticks!). My next cycle was not so crazy long, so it seemed my body was getting itself under control.

Pregnant!

In December of 2016, I took a pregnancy test around when my period was expected, as usual. (side note: I still haven’t decided if those early detection tests for a few days before your period are a blessing or a curse). Except this time, there was a second line in the result window. Cue a holy shit moment. I immediately called my sister for a freakout. She told me to get a few different brands/kinds of the tests and take a few more – including a digital one, because there’s no ambiguity in those results. So I grabbed a bunch more tests at the store, and then had to wait until I actually needed to pee again (you’re not supposed to chug water to pee in order to do a pregnancy test because it dilutes it). I ended up taking 4 tests in total, but they all said the same thing: I was pregnant!

It was a Sunday, and were about to head to Charleston to visit family for Christmas the next day, so I didn’t actually get to call my doctor’s office until later that week. They asked me about my dates (ovulation and expected period) and whether I had a positive test, then said congratulations and said they’d see me next month (when I was around 8 weeks). I hadn’t realized there was such a time gap in the prenatal care process; I think I literally said “but what do I DO until then?!” in a kind of panicky voice. Other than no drinking alcohol, I didn’t really have to change much (I don’t smoke or do drugs, don’t like sushi, etc.).

We enjoyed a very awesome Christmas vacation sharing the news, and getting to know my little nephew who was around 3 months at the time. Then it was back to Austin for the waiting game. My boobs were super sore at this point, and the dreaded pregnancy fatigue had crept in. My sense of smell seemed a bit heightened, but luckily nausea wasn’t too bad – in fact, most days were fine on that front.

Not good news

We went in for our first prenatal appointment mid-January 2017. The ultrasound was exciting – we got to see the little bean for the first time! But there were three downers. First, my doctor noticed what she thought was a dip in the shape of my uterus – what’s called an arcuate uterus. She called in another doctor for a consult, and he agreed that’s what it looked like. An arcuate uterus would not be a big deal or issue, it was just a variant on the shape of the uterus. More of a curiosity than anything else, since they agreed it looked mild.

Second, she said she thought my thyroid felt enlarged during my exam, but had me swallow again to check. She didn’t mention this further after that, so I assumed all was fine on that front.

The third issue caused my heart to sink a little. My doctor said our baby’s heartbeat was at the low end of normal. She wasn’t concerned just yet and it could turn out fine, but was having us come in for another ultrasound in a week just to check. This is the news that stressed me out. Everyone tried to tell me “well, it’s still in the normal range, so don’t worry yet!” but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was not good.

The next day I get a call from a nurse at the doctor’s office. She says she has the names of the endocrinologists my doctor wants to refer me to. I said “what are you talking about?” Apparently the doc wanted me to follow up on the thyroid thing with a specialist just to be sure. She just hadn’t actually told me that. I was both miffed and worried about this. But I called the specialist and scheduled an appointment for early February, the soonest they could get me in.

A few days later I had just the slightest bit of blood on the tissue when I wipe after going to the bathroom. It was barely there, and didn’t reoccur, and I’d been told multiple times that spotting is normal in early pregnancy, so I tried not to worry about this too.

Around this time my nausea went all the way away, which I just took as a relief.

Miscarriage

At our follow-up ultrasound, the news was even worse. The ultrasound tech was oddly silent, and then went to get the doctor on duty (my doctor was away at a birth). He looked at it, and explained to me the red and blue colors I was seeing, and that the fact they weren’t traveling down to the baby meant there was no blood flow to the fetus and no heartbeat. I’d had what is called a missed miscarriage, where the fetus had died inside me but not been expelled. I was crying, Ian was clutching my hand. They gave us a few minutes alone to collect ourselves, then had us sit with a nurse practitioner to answer our questions and go through our options going forward. She was very sympathetic and patient, and stressed that it wasn’t anything I did that caused the miscarriage, it’s just a thing that happens to 1 in 4 pregnancies. Logically, it helps to hear that, but emotionally it doesn’t really make a difference.

We had three options for removing the now unviable fetus – wait for it to naturally flush out, medically induce the uterus to flush it out, or go in for dilation and curettage (D&C) surgery to have the doctor remove it. And it does have to come out, because it’s basically dead tissue sitting in there, and your body will still think you’re pregnant until it’s gone. We decided to take a day or two to think about it.

The only surgery I’d had before was my wisdom teeth out when I was in high school, so the idea of a D&C scared the crap out of me. We opted to try medically inducing it to come out. This involved another doctor’s office visit, where my doctor would place 4 pills up inside my vagina for them to dissolve and induce bleeding and contractions. She walked me through what to expect, and said she’d call in a Tylenol 3 pain prescription for me (tylenol + codeine) in case I needed it.

Nothing much happened at first. Then I started getting cramps. They were mild for an hour or so, and then stronger. I started bleeding – normal period amount at first. But the cramps kept getting stronger and the bleeding kept getting heavier. I had Ian call the pharmacy to check on my Tylenol 3 prescription, because it looked like I was going to need it. He said they had no record of it – my doctor had forgotten to call it in. At this point, it’s after 5pm, so the doctor’s office is closed. I call the afterhours nurse line and explain that I need a pain med prescription, but she says they can’t call those in over the phone. So it looks like I’m SOL. Then she calls back a little later and says she can call in a Tylenol 3 prescription, but nothing stronger. I’m like – that’s what I was supposed to get in the first place! So Ian is off to the pharmacy to get my meds while I huddle in a ball and go through sanitary pads like gangbusters (tampons are a no-no for this process).

So much blood

The next few days were probably the most horrifying. There was just so much blood. And not like thin dribbles. I’m talking there were clots the size of baseballs coming out. Even the heaviest of pads were no match for those. Once or twice, when I just stood up normally to do something, I could literally feel a clot come out, overwhelm the pad, and slide down my leg before I could even get to the bathroom. Ian had to bring me changes of underwear and pajama pants a time or two to the bathroom door. Sometimes just the gap in time between when I finished showering and could get pad-lined underwear on was long enough to cause a mess. Or sometimes the nighttime heavy duty pads just weren’t enough for even a short sleep cycle. Pro tip: Shout gel stain remover is great.

If there was an upside, it’s that the T3 did help with the cramps for the first day or so, and then those lightened up. But the bleeding continued at what I thought was a crazy pace, but the nurse at the doctor’s office assured me it was normal and I didn’t have any of the warning signs that something was wrong. All the bleeding meant that I was generally pretty tired and weak, though. Plus, my boobs were still sore from being pregnant, which I still think was just unfair.

A week after the pill insertion, I had a follow-up for another ultrasound to see if it had been successful – if, amidst all the blood, the fetus and tissue had also come out. While the remaining amount of tissue was somewhat smaller, it was still hanging on in there. I had the option of another dose of those meds, or going for a D&C. I chose another round of meds, figuring a) I knew what to expect now and could handle it and b) surely with the amount of stuff coming out, the remaining tissue would also have to be flushed? Plus I’d been reading about D&C’s and they still scared me.

I was not thrilled about it, though. When I got back to my car after the appointment, I scolded in the general direction of my uterus: “Just get out already!! You already up and died on me, just let go! Move on!” There were some angry tears, but I pulled myself together to drive back home.

Since I knew the drill, I was able to just pick up the prescription and insert the pills myself at home instead of having to make another doctor’s appointment. This was as messy as you’d think, considering the bleeding from the first dose was still happening. I still had Tylenol 3 from the first round, so no hiccups there. Cue bad cramps and heavier bleeding again. It was generally more of the same, though once or twice I was so lightheaded from blood loss I had to lay down for awhile.

Around this time I had to also go see the endocrinologist to check on my thyroid. I didn’t take any T3 that day, because I wasn’t sure what would interfere with their exam. I was pretty miserable. The nurse who did the preliminary stuff was awesome, though. I don’t remember how it came up, but I shared that I had just had a miscarriage and was in the bleeding/cramping stage. It turned out she had just gone through almost the exact same thing, and was also on Tylenol 3, and let me have two since it wouldn’t interfere with anything they were doing. She was a saint. And it turned out my thyroid was absolutely fine, according to both an x-ray and hormone levels, so one less thing to worry about overall.

At the follow-up ultrasound after my second dose of crampy meds, unfortunately the news was not as good. The fetal tissue was STILL hanging on in there somehow, despite the veritable flood of blood that was meant to move it. At this point the only option was to schedule a D&C.

How were we handling the miscarriage emotionally? It was strange. Of course when we got the news we were sad and disappointed and a bit heartbroken. But at the same time, it happened so early in the pregnancy that we hadn’t really wrapped our minds around the idea of the baby as a person-to-be, just as an it. Plus then we were swept up in the practicalities of dealing with the miscarriage, so had other things to focus on. We would check in with each other about it occasionally, but for the most part we both were sad but ok, and ready to move on and try again. We had a ways to go before that yet, though.

Surgery #1

I don’t remember much about my surgery date. I know I was super nervous the day before, but as we had to get up so early to be at the surgery center I was still half asleep. Ian was with me, of course. My doctor came by to say hello and answer any last-minute questions. She’d talk with Ian after the surgery, before I was awake, to tell him how it went. Then the IV went in and out I went.

My D&C was an ultrasound-guided surgery, meaning there were no incisions for scopes. The ultrasound is from over the skin, and the doctor’s tools go up through the dilated cervix. So when my doctor talked to Ian afterwards and told him it had gone well and she had gotten everything, she likely thought she was right, based on what an ultrasound could show.

So that was that, we thought. Off home to sleep, and bleed some more (because I hadn’t had enough of that already! But surgery on your ladyparts will cause that, too). I slowly recovered and bled less, and we started thinking about next steps to try again for a baby.

At my post-op follow-up appointment, I expected to just go in, be given the all clear, and get back to babymaking. But instead my doctor dropped the “I’d like you to see a fertility specialist” bomb. Apparently, during my surgery she had encountered an obstruction that made it difficult to remove the tissue. She no longer thought my uterus was arcuate, but that I had something called a uterine septum – basically a wall down part of my uterus. She wanted me to see the specialist for this reason.

Why she didn’t say a word about this to Ian at the time of surgery I have no idea!! It seems like that’d be the relevant time to share that information, yeah? We’d thought for two weeks that the worst was behind us, but then this. Because of this, and the other miscommunications with her during this whole process, she is no longer my OB/GYN.

I had a little cry in my car, and that feeling of dread was back in the pit of my stomach. But I went home, and made the appointment with the specialist.

Fertility specialist

The earliest the specialist could see me was the beginning of March 2017, so I had a bit more waiting game on my hands. The first thing we did was sit down and go over all that had happened. She was the one who told me that no, it’s not normal for the body to take months to adjust after going off the pill. She suspected rather that I had a very mild form a PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which meant my cycles were irregular. No big deal, but if I ever wanted to regulate my cycles more exactly we could. Then we did an ultrasound – one of the up-the-ladyparts wand ones, not the over-the-belly ones. I don’t know if it was the different equipment, or the fact she was a specialist, but she immediately saw that indeed, I did have a uterine septum, and a big ol’ honking one at that.

Fun fact: Females all start out with two uteri when developing, and they eventually merge into one uterus and the membrane that divides them disappears. It’s when that membrane doesn’t disappear all the way that you get uterine anomalies like a small dip (arcuate, which the original doc thought I had) to a partial wall down the uterus (uterine septum) to actually having two separate uteri when they don’t merge at all.

So, the bad news: I did indeed have a uterine septum, and that would make having a baby difficult because a) it wouldn’t have room to grow past a certain point due to the wall and b) the septum itself is membrane, not tissue, so it can’t support blood flow if the fetus attaches there. The specialist was 99% sure this is what had caused my miscarriage.

Also bad: there was STILL fetal tissue in there! My OB/GYN had NOT in fact gotten all of it out like she had said, and now it was in danger of necrotizing inside of me (this was the final straw that made me switch OB/GYNs).

The good news: the septum could absolutely be removed, and my uterus would be ‘normal’ and healthy and able to support a baby afterwards.

Despite the bad news, this was the best I’d felt in weeks. Yes, there was still a hurdle, but there was a clear solution and plan of action, and finally an explanation for why I’d had a miscarriage. Plus this specialist was very no-nonsense and clear in her communication, and quick to dispel bullshit, which I always appreciate.

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy though. Before the surgery, she wanted me to get a scan done with dye injected so she could see exactly what she was dealing with before going in. But the lab that runs those scans won’t perform that if your blood test has positive HCG values (pregnancy hormones). And since I still had tissue hanging on in there, my blood work kept showing HCG. I was sent for blood work every week for I think 3-4 weeks to see if it would go down enough to do the scan, but eventually it was clear it was not going to go down to zero and we had to do the surgery without a scan.

Surgery #2

It was now April 2017. My surgery was the second week that month. This one was a bit more involved. I had to fast past a certain hour the night before – not even water was allowed. I also had to take a colon cleanser to make sure my digestive system was cleared out. It was basically a weird-tasting juice-like drink. That part wasn’t terrible, but the aftermath was not fun. There would also be two incisions for this surgery – for scopes/tools and for gas to inflate my abdomen so they could see/move around as needed. One was in my belly button and the scar is not really noticeable. The other was farther down on my pelvis and nobody but my husband or doctors will ever see it. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t even more scared/nervous about this surgery than the D&C. Especially because removal of the septum could leave scarring, which would not be good for pregnancy chances.

My surgery was supposed to be early afternoon, but we had to be there in the morning due to hospital procedure. I was the specialist’s second surgery of the day, and that one ran very late, so I didn’t actually go into surgery until I think around 4pm. Given the fasting and my emptied out system, this was already kind of miserable. And then the first nurse I had botched the IV line insertion. I already hate needles, and this hurt like a mo-fo, so I was a really nervous wreck/not happy camper. Oh, Ian also had a bad cold at this time, and I was paranoid about getting sick while recovering from surgery, so he was wearing a breathing mask and dealing with sniffles and head fuzz. Add in the boredom of a prep room without even a TV, and it was just NOT FUN.

Luckily, the surgery itself went smoothly. I remember the anesthesiologist starting my meds, and being wheeled down hallways and into the OR. Some bright lights and people bustling. Then… I was waking up groggy back in the prep room. Someone was bustling around my feet. I was not allowed to wear contacts for the surgery, and Ian (not currently around because they hadn’t brought him back yet) had my glasses, so I couldn’t really see anything. The nurse lady saw I was awake and started talking to me. She had something in her hands and I asked what it was. She said “I don’t know how you made it to your age without knowing what this is.” I explained I couldn’t see because I didn’t have my glasses, and she laughingly told me it was a sanitary pad, which she then proceeded to change out with what I assume was gauze/padding/whathaveyou from the surgery itself.

Ian was shown back, and I was reunited with my glasses. He had talked with the specialist. The surgery did go well, though it took a little longer than expected (it was now about 8pm). The fetal tissue had started to go necrotic, and it was harder to remove than anticipated. But she assured him that this time, it was ALL gone, along with the septum. The only other thing she noticed was that my gallbladder was a little large, but that was a nonissue if it hadn’t caused any issue before now.

Recovery

Recovery from this surgery was hard. First, I was bleeding again, because surgery on ladyparts. And again, no tampons, only pads. Fun. Second, I had a balloon stint in my uterus- to keep the raw uterine wall where the septum was removed from adhering to the opposite wall while healing. It was saline-filled, and added a noticeable and slightly uncomfortable pressure to that whole region, particularly my bladder. Very like the bloated feeling you get during PMS. Third, since they had used gas to inflate my abdomen during the surgery, there were painful side effects from that. Basically, they can’t get all of the gas back out after doing so, so it’s just loose in my system, moving between muscles, organs and tissues until it gets absorbed and works itself out. And that movement HURTS. I could not go horizontal for a few days, not even to sleep, because that caused the gas to move around and that was PAINFUL. I had to sleep propped up with pillows, and still sometimes needed assistance getting in or out of bed, or a seat. On top of this, I had two sore incision sites that made any flexing of ab muscles painful.

I was also on a cornucopia of pills: pain medication (good ol’ T3 again), anti-bacterial medication, and estrogen to help my uterus heal. There was an anti-nausea medication in case I needed it from the combination of the other three, but luckily I didn’t. These two weeks of recovery time were kind of a blur nonetheless.

My post-op follow-up appointment was stress-free this time. My blood work was back to normal – no more HCG, no infections. The stint was removed no problem. An ultrasound showed that my uterine wall had healed well – no scarring! And confirmation for me at last that yes, everything was out this time. I had one more round of pills (progesterone) to kick start my cycle into normalcy after all of that estrogen, and then once I had my normal period, we’d be clear to start trying again. I would be staying staying with the specialist until I had a confirmed pregnancy and was past the 8 week mark, just to troubleshoot any other issues that might come up.

Trying again

And of course they did. My first two cycles after the septum removal were a normal length (30 days) though much heavier than I was used to. The combination of no septum blocking things and more exposed uterine wall unfortunately has equalled more lining to be shed every month. A bit of a bummer, but a small price for a working uterus. We were also doing some house renovations at this time: all new flooring throughout and new master bathtub/shower, so there was a lot of stress and work related to that – but a welcome break from body-related stress.

Then things went weird. I had a cycle that was only 21 days, which is rather short. Then I had a cycle that was only 17 days – super short, to the point of it being too short for the uterus to prepare for a pregnancy properly. This was my suspected PCOS rearing its head and confirmed.

I got kind of mad at my body at this point. I pretty much yelled at my abdomen “why can’t you just work like you’re supposed to?!!” Probably more than once. It’s super frustrating to go through all of that, be told you’re set and body is healthy, and it still doesn’t work like it should. I can kindly be called a control freak anyway, and having my own body doing this was an added level of angst I didn’t need or welcome.

So I found myself on fertility meds – just a short/small dose to regulate when my ovaries were dropping eggs and get them on schedule. The pills themselves were not too bad. They upset my stomach some, but it was only a span of 5 days each time. The worst part was that for every round, I had to go in and have an up-the-ladyparts wand ultrasound on a specific day early in my cycle, which by the way is when your period is. So I got to combine the misery of a period with the uncomfortableness of a vaginal exam. Not pleasant. But they have to check for ovarian cysts before letting you do a round of these pills, so it was mandatory.

We did one round. No pregnancy dice. We did a second round. And I thought we had success, as I had a positive home pregnancy test. But two consecutive blood tests showed that my HCG, while present at first, was going down. I’d had what is called a chemical pregnancy. The egg and sperm get together enough to start sending your body signals, but the embryo never implants, and you just get your period a few days later than you normally would. This is where the early result home pregnancy test came back to bite me, because it was only a few days later I got my period and if I had waited to test it probably wouldn’t have registered as a pregnancy and gotten my hopes up.

Aside from that disappointment, my next ultrasound for the fertility meds showed that I had an ovarian cyst. I know, right? The hits just kept on coming. So I could not do another round of fertility meds just then, but had to go on medication to dissolve that cyst first. Guess what kind of medication they use to do that? Birth control!! Yes. The absurdity of it. Actively trying to get pregnant, and here I am on birth control for two weeks to get rid of the cyst. It worked, the cyst was gone, so now I just had to wait for my period again and we could get back on fertility meds. We did one more round, but still no dice.

We’re now in early November 2017, by the way, so everything up to this point happened in less than a year. And the mental and emotional toll finally caught up with me. I was just TIRED. My business had been struggling and not doing well because for most of the year I was literally bleeding and laying in bed. I was tired of pills and wands and blood work. We’d just finished up a major kitchen renovation, which had been stressful. And honestly the schedule inherent in trying to get pregnant (having to get action on certain days regardless of whether you both feel like it or not) was also wearing on us. So we opted to take a break from fertility meds. It was good timing, as Thanksgiving was coming up, and I didn’t want to deal with the upset stomach that came with those pills on T-day.

Pregnant again!

And of course, that’s when it happened. In early December 2017, I got a positive pregnancy test. After everything, it was when we had decided to take a break and not try so hard that it happened. We were thrilled, but there was also an air of tentativeness about it. We didn’t want to get our hopes up only to have them crushed again. So this Christmas, we didn’t tell anyone – I didn’t call my mom or sisters, we didn’t tell his family that was in town. But despite our anxiety, my blood work kept coming back good, and my pregnancy symptoms were strongly rearing their ugly heads. We had our first prenatal appointment this time around the day after New Year’s – at about 6 weeks. Everything looked good on the sonogram, but we had another appointment in two weeks to follow-up before the specialist would transfer us to my new OB/GYN’s care.

Happily, our 8 week appointment was also fine. My blood work levels had continued to be where they should, and the baby’s blood flow and measurements were all where they should be, too. I think we both heaved a big sigh of relief. It looked like this baby was here to stay, and we could worry about the normal things: like becoming parents.

This pregnancy has been a wild ride all its own. I had pretty much constant low-grade nausea all through my first trimester. Not enough to throw up, just enough to ruin my appetite and make my stomach uneasy – ALL the time. I also had the sore boobs and fatigue again. The second trimester has been much better. My nausea went away and my energy came back. I’m in full on nesting mode right now (nursery is painted and baby furniture has started to arrive!). The food cravings and aversions are crazy!! I couldn’t eat chocolate for the longest time (I know! Cruel!), and anything even slightly spicy kind of wrecks me. But plain ol’ Kraft mac & cheese? Give me that for every meal. Fresh fruit has also a constant. I crave fast food/greasy food less, which is probably not a bad thing.

I’m still having a hard time shaking the trepidation with each doctor’s visit, even though everything has been fine. We just had our 20-week checkup recently, and me and baby girl (girl!!) got A+ grades all around. I haven’t had the sinking sure dread feeling that happened before my miscarriage at all, but it’s still a relief to get confirmation that everything is going well in there. I’m past the halfway point now, so likelihood of another miscarriage has gone down to almost zero, barring an accident of some kind.

Looking back is funny. We’ve dubbed 2017 either Hell Year or the Bleedening, depending on the mood. I’m pretty sure I single-handedly kept Kotex in business last year. And it was by far the WORST year I’ve had in my freelancing career. But at the same time, a lot of good came out of it. Going through all of that together brought Ian and I closer. I had to lean on him a lot more than my norm, and he never faltered. He also never once expressed anything but support no matter how TMI or gross goings-ons with my ladyparts got. And now our house is like-new in a lot of ways, and I have a functioning uterus growing a healthy baby girl we’re eager to welcome. The journey to get to this point was rough, but I am really looking forward to all motherhood will bring.

If you are a mother or trying to get pregnant yourself, what has your journey been like?

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http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/08/17/recent-reads-7/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 12:15:59 +0000http://dragonflightdreams.com/?p=11258Well, hi there! I know, I know… it got quiet on here for a little while. But I’m back! And never fear, books have still been devoured and enjoyed in the mean time. Here’s a few noteworthies I’ve read lately:

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett.
Humanity has spread through the stars, but that doesn’t stop a virus from wiping out most of humanity. What happens when you’re maybe the only person left on your planet? The premise of this was promising, right at that crossroads for big ideas and human experience. And the human part played out well. I thought the characters were, for the most part, well-developed and real. There were some poignant moments and some achingly true inner thoughts and feelings. The plot is where this story lost ground. It started off strong, but eventually devolved into preaching about a person’s right to choose their own life. I don’t even disagree with that notion, but the repeated hammering of that got old quick. I thought the big ending of the plot was contrived and a bit obvious, but that the epilogue-like afterwards was nice. The writing style throughout, at least, was really well done and beautiful.3.5/5 stars.

Akata Witch (#1) by Nnedi Okorafor.
This is a YA fantasy steeped in the culture and mythology of Nigeria. I’ll admit upfront I’m not too familiar with either of those, so it’s likely I missed some nuances or references along the way. That didn’t stop me from really enjoying this book. It’s the story of Sunny, a young girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Of Nigerian lineage, but born and raised in America, and an albino to boot, Sunny’s transition to living in her parents’ native land isn’t smooth. Especially when she sees something in a candle flame and learns exactly what she is. This leads her to a new group of friends, and a new world hidden behind the familiar one. It’s thrilling, but dangerous, and there’s more at stake than her and her friends know. The story is well-paced, and has the feeling of magical realism. There’s a lot of unexplained feelings and bits, so if you’re looking for everything to be spelled out for you, this isn’t your read. But if you’d like to step into a different kind of fantasy adventure, give this a try.4/5 stars.

Mask of Shadows (#1) by Linsey Miller.
Sallot is the last living person from a destroyed homeland. Revenge is the name of the game, and the path to that is to win a position as one of the queen’s assassins. That means coming out on top in a literal battle to the death between the contenders. This book was ok. It was entertaining enough to keep me going, despite some drawbacks. I didn’t buy that Sallot – a thief with no training or previous inclination towards murder – would last a day in a competition of assassins. So right from the start, I’m not fully on board. Throw in some insta-love, positions named after gemstones, and knowing (of course!) how this book #1 will end, and it all felt a bit juvenile. Still, Sallot was an interesting character and the hints of world-building we get in book #1 could be built upon. The way the author handled gender fluidity was well-done, too. I’d be interested to see if this series and Sallot mature with book #2.3/5 stars.

The Remnant Chronicles trilogy by Mary Pearson.
Three kingdoms hover on the brink of war. An arranged marriage between two of them would bring some much needed stability to the land. Except the princess wants no part of it. Nor does the 3rd kingdom. When Lia runs away on her wedding day, her intended prince and an unknown assassin are set to track her down. Add in magic, destiny, and the ever complicated workings of the human heart, and the stage is set for a YA fantasy adventure. The gimmick of book 1 annoyed me some. We have 3 narrators: the princess Lia, the prince, and the assassin. Lia is the only one whose name we know. When the other two show up in Lia’s narration, there’s the whole ‘which one is which?’ between the two young men. I call it a gimmick because it’s OBVIOUS. Happily, books 2 and 3 do not follow that pattern, and I was able to enjoy them much more. Overall, I quite liked this series. The characters are well done. With one glaring exception, they are complex and believable, and we see a good mix of humor, strength and mistakes from them. The plot is nicely segmented between each book and there’s a good build. I did feel the final battle/climax of the story happened a bit too easily and quickly, but aside from that these were a good read.3.5/5 stars.

Apparently I was on a strong female lead kick. No apologies for that. Up next I’m digging into my pile of ARCs, and maybe finally bringing myself to read the final Fitz book (which I’ve been putting off because I don’t want that series to end).

What have you been reading lately?

]]>http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/08/17/recent-reads-7/feed/011258http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/08/17/recent-reads-7/Recent Readshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DragonflightDreams/~3/G7QC_lkJOHg/
http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/06/02/recent-reads-6/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 12:21:19 +0000http://dragonflightdreams.com/?p=11244Hey! Yes, it’s been awhile. Life kind of got hectic there for a bit. I’ve still been reading, though, never fear. Here’s what I’ve gotten into lately:

Within the Sanctuary of Wings (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #5) by Marie Brennan.
This is the final book in the wonderful Lady Trent series, and it did not disappoint. She visits another remote locale chasing after a legend, and makes another discovery regarding dragons – the biggest one yet by far. It had just the right blend of adventure, honestly human moments, and Lady Trent’s signature acerbic commentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it a satisfying end to the series. I am a little sad it’s over now, but it went out with a bang. If you’ve loved the other books in this series, have no fears with this final chapter. If you haven’t read the other books, pick up the first one now!4/5 stars.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
Disaster strikes. The human population is decimated. Governments and infrastructure collapse. Chaos and survivalism rule. But some find that survival alone is not enough. Enter The Travelling Symphony, a group of itinerant actors and musicians who make their way in this post-apocalyptic world by playing classical music and performing Shakespeare. The story jumps around between different time frames and characters, but they all weave together. I loved this book. The writing is so good, and the story draws you in. You have moments of humanity at its worst (violence and cults and bullshit), juxtaposed against humanity at its finest. You get the before and after of civilization, and the joy as a reader of picking up on the little pieces that tie the parts together. It’s so good. And it’s a standalone novel, so you have no excuse not to try it.4.5/5 stars.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
This was a book club read that I probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise, and that would’ve been a shame, as this was a really entertaining read. Count Alexander Rostov, for crimes of his lineage balanced against action for the revolution, is sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest at Moscow’s eminent Metropol hotel. There begins a decades-long adventure within its walls. The cast of characters is brilliant, Rostov’s narrative wit is perfect, and the backdrop of those tumultuous years of Russian history was an interesting change from my normal sci-fi/fantasy fare. It’s not a quick-paced story by any means. But it is a humorous, and heartbreaking, and satisfying one. Highly recommend.4/5 stars.

The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts.
Yes, that Nora Roberts. This series is her attempt at marrying modern day fantasy with Celtic/Irish tradition and her usual romance. With mixed results. I think the idea at the core of this series is good. An evil sorcerer, a good witch, a bloodline tasked with finishing the job centuries later. The cast of characters was fine, if predictable in how they would pair up. There were some good moments that were particularly funny or touching. But overall these books suffered from a slow pace, and a surfeit of telling not showing. There is way more talking about what the characters are going to do then there is the characters actually doing it. Notice that didn’t stop me from reading all 3 books, though, so take from that what you will. If you want an easy, mindless read with a touch o’ the Irish, maybe give book 1 a try.3/5 stars.

Yeah, I’ve been all over the place with books lately! Next up on my list is a Civil War romance, some Norse mythology, and a modern-day YA.

After being attacked and abducted, physics professor Jason Dessen wakes up in a life that is not his. Or at least, not his life as he remembers it. It’s a version of what his life could’ve been if, say, 15 years ago different decisions had been made. Trying to navigate this new life while figuring our how he got there, if the life he remembers is real, and whether he can get back to it and the family he loves soon lands him in worlds of trouble. Literally and figuratively. What follows is a tense story- part thriller, part adventure- about choices, consequences, and the ideas of self and reality.

This is my favorite kind of science fiction. It takes a theory from science, makes it a reality in the story, and uses that to explore what it means to be human. It makes you think. It surprises you. It maybe worries you and gets a bit trippy, depending on the exact tale and theory. That’s what we get with Dark Matter- a really well-written and inventive exploration of one man’s life, through the lens of science fiction.

I’m having a hard time writing this review, simply because I want to avoid any overt spoilers. So I’ll look at some nitty gritty instead. The main character, Jason, makes a great protagonist. He seems real, in his reactions to situations and his narration. It’s a good blend of honesty, storytelling, and slightly offbeat humor. The supporting characters are not quite as well-rounded, but that may only be because they don’t get as much page time or the narrative driver’s seat.

As for plot, even once the main device had been introduced, the author still throws a few surprises in there. One (x100) in particular I did not see coming, and in this case that was a positive. Two minor things kind of nagging on my mind with this story were: a) the fate of a certain character who drops out partway through and b) wavering as far as the ending. The ending satisfied the conditions of the story and can be considered a proper ending, but sometimes a reader just wants a bit more. I say wavering, though, because even though I wanted more I think the author made the right choice to end it where he did and not include an epilogue or final chapter afterwards.

On a design nerd note: I love the cover. I thought it was cool looking before reading it, but after reading the story I think it’s perfect. You’ll have to read it to find out why. If you enjoy clever, thought-provoking science fiction free of aliens, give this one a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

This could be your typical girl-wakes-up-hurt-with amnesia story, except for one significant difference: this girl is a vampire. Imagine waking up alone, injured, with strange cravings, and not only having no recollection of who you are or how you got there, but no idea what you are either. To have to have the concept of a vampire explained to you by a human. This is how Fledgling starts off.

Shori, the girl, looks like a kid of about 12, but is actually a 53-year-old vampire. After waking up alone in the forest, she has to find civilization and piece together her past. This is not easy given the fact that she has no real idea of what her vampire abilities are or their consequences. When she does finally stumble upon bits of her past, it only gets more complicated. How does she fit into vampire society? Why is she different from other vampires? What happened to her family and how did she end up in that cave? As answers become clearer, Shori has to carve a space for herself in this new society and ensure safety for herself and her human dependents.

This was the first book by Octavia Butler that I’ve read, and it was a good intro to her work. I liked her writing style and pace. The story had enough familiar elements that it wasn’t difficult to wrap my head around, but enough new things and surprises to keep it interesting and her own. She works a lot of nuance into her characters and world, particularly when it comes to race, science, humanity, and consenting relationships. Shori’s first relationship, in fact, made me a bit uncomfortable, but eventually it fit within the way the vampire society is built.

I was a bit disappointed in the ending. This is standalone book, so there are no sequels, and I felt the end happened a bit abruptly. I would’ve liked to see things progress beyond that point a little more. Especially as part of the danger Shori faced/faces didn’t really seem to be resolved. This was the last book that Butler published before she died, so maybe she had plans to revisit this world? I don’t know.

If you want to read a vampire story that’s a different take on the usual, give this one a try.

Girl’s family is killed. Girl narrowly escapes with her life. Girl ends up on the streets. Girl wants revenge, and is taken in by an old assassin and trained as his new protege in preparation for going to assassin school. Naturally. Then she has to find the school/temple of assassins, be admitted, learn all the things, and compete with her fellow trainees for a limited number of spots in the ranks of assassin proper. What could go wrong when you have a bunch of hormonal teenage assassins-in-training cooped up and pitted against one another?

All glibness at the setup aside, this was an interesting read. For starters, the world this takes place in has 3 suns, the result of which is that they only get true night once every few years. (Hence the title Nevernight because it’s never night, see?). This is important because the girl, Mia, has certain magical powers that thrive on darkness. Whether you want to take that literally or metaphorically, it still applies. I have a feeling this will have a bigger role in subsequent books.

The pace of the action throughout is good. The plot keeps the reader engaged without being all that predictable. I mean, of course, there are some of the usual teenage girl things, and boarding school tropes, but there are a nice number of surprises throughout as well, especially as it builds towards the end of this first book. It’s YA level, but doesn’t gloss over all of the things that training to be an assassin entails. In short: there is a lot of blood and death and ugliness, some of it in ways that might turn your stomach. I enjoyed Mia as a protagonist. She is cunning and good at the trade, but hasn’t lost her gooey human center. Her sidekick is an interesting (and amusing) twist. The tinge of the mystical that hangs over the whole school adds a nuance to the world and the story for a welcome bit of depth.

As for supporting characters, it’s a mixed bag. Some are complex and fully realized, some are more one-note and unoriginal. Though to be fair a lot of the latter get killed off, so maybe I shouldn’t hold that against the author.

This first book in the series ends in a good place. Some major things have wrapped up or been achieved, but there are still threads hanging loose to be picked up in the next book. Which I fully plan on reading when it comes out in September.

If you like darker fantasy full of intrigue, and aren’t too squeamish, give this a try.

The Star-Touched Queen (#1)
A Crown of Wishes (#2)
By Roshani Chokshi.

Book 1 follows the story of Maya, who has been cursed since birth with a horoscope that predicts a marriage of death and destruction. Shunned by the entire kingdom, she lives only for her books and her little sister Gauri. Then, against all expectations, her father announces she will be wed- a political arrangement to quell unrest. One particular suitor catches her eye, and she finds herself queen of a land called Akaran, and wed to a man who gives her respect, power and passion. But he also has secrets. As Maya learns more about her new kingdom (a place filled with locked doors and impossibilities), doubt and suspicion creep in. As she slowly pieces together the truth about her husband, her new kingdom, her horoscope, and her own soul, Maya must make a choice of who to trust. The consequences of her choice will shake worlds.

Book 2 tells the story of Gauri (Maya’s sister) and Vikram (who was also a minor character in book 1). They are princess and prince of neighboring, feuding kingdoms. Both, for different reasons, have been denied their voice and full birthright- trapped by circumstances. When Vikram receives an invitation to the mythical Tournament of Wishes, they find themselves bound together for the purpose of the competition. If they win, they each get a wish of their heart’s desire. But winning is not easy. First they have to actually find the city of legend where the competition takes place; then they have to stay alive long enough to win it. In a competition full of danger, illusion, and no clear rules, the two enemies must learn to trust each other if they hope to survive.

Both of these books are beautifully written as far as the language and descriptions. There’s a lyrical quality to the prose that is just wonderful. The stories are a blend of Indian mythology, with shades of Greek mythology and fairytales, full of color and magic and mystery. They are both love stories in their own way, with adventure and intrigue. They are not your clean ‘Disney-fied’ stories, either- there are betrayals, demons, gore and violence.

Book 1, though it had lovely prose, was too formless and shifting for me. I read a lot of fantasy and am used to worlds where magic is the driving force and not always understandable, but this was just all over the place. I also felt like an important reveal came too late in the book- I didn’t have a reason to really care about the characters before then, and halfway through is too long into a book for that. Maybe this would have been alleviated if I had more familiarity with Indian mythology, but as it was I mostly just had no idea what was going on. The second half of the book did flow much better for me, because at that point there’s a clear purpose and the stakes are known.

Book 2, I actually liked much better than book 1. It had more of a coherent storyline and direction, and caught me up in events more fully. On the surface it’s a standard setup: a quest pits two enemies together against the world, and oh my they start to like each other. But there’s a reason why that’s a standard- it works. And the depth the author lends to Gauri and Vikram makes you invested in the story and the outcome. The tension between ‘how can they survive this?’ and that standard setup where you know eventually there’s a happy ending, gives a nice energy to the book. You want to know how they get there. The obstacles they must overcome for the Tournament are not the standard fare either. There’s an emotional intelligence to this book that added a level of poignancy and wisdom to events.

Overall, I did enjoy this series. Book 1 is something you’ll enjoy more in hindsight once it’s done, and Book 2 is one you’ll enjoy as you go. If you’re looking for a new fantasy-mythology series with some epic love stories and adventures (and beautiful writing) give this series a go. Book 1 is already out, and book 2 will be out next month.

I give this series 4/5 stars.

I received free copies of these books from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/02/16/book-review-the-bear-and-the-nightingale/#respondThu, 16 Feb 2017 13:15:46 +0000http://dragonflightdreams.com/?p=11210The Bear and the Nightingale (The Bear and the Nightingale #1)

by Katherine Arden.

Vasilisa, the youngest of 5 siblings, grows up in the Russian hinterlands with a special connection to the wild. She loves her nurse’s stories of the different spirits of house and forest, but most of all she loves tales of Morozko, the fearful king of winter. When her father remarries to a devout citywoman, who comes with a new priest, it triggers a change in Vasilisa’s comfortable existence. And, as she soon comes to realize, a change in the natural balance. As the new priest’s influence grows, the local spirits and land weaken. As scary as tales of Morozko are, they are nothing compared to the thing he guards against. Threatened with marriage or a convent by her stepmother, Vasilisa must find a way to keep her land and people safe before time runs out.

One of my favorite books growing up was this book of Russian fairytales. In many ways, The Bear and the Nightingale was like revisiting my childhood. Except the fairytale grew up with me and got equivalently darker as a result. I’m not mad about it. This was an engrossing, atmospheric read. From the domestic spirits to the encroachment of Christianity to the mythos surrounding Morozko, this fictional slice of old Russia felt rich and authentic. It is not a Disney-fied fairytale. There is blood and death and violence, and a monster or five. It does nicely capture that feeling familiar from folk tales, where reality slips sideways just a bit and suddenly things like magic just are.

Vasilisa as the main character is both traditional and not. Traditional because that’s a recurring name/character from Russian folklore, but not because generally it’s Vasilisa the Beautiful where she is a fair maiden. This story’s Vasilisa is not ugly, but not beautiful either. Rather, she is smart, and brave, and compelling. I like this modern twist on a heroine. The supporting characters were mostly well-done and sympathetic- even the traditionally vile stepmother. The author did well to add nuance to the normal archetypes.

I would’ve liked a little more backstory on Vasilisa’s mother and the magic of her line (where it came from, what exactly that meant). And some parts of the story moved a little slowly for me. But overall, I still really enjoyed this book.

If you like new twists on old stories, or have a penchant for Russian folklore, give this a try.

I give it 4/5 stars.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tom lives a aimless, drifting life in 2016. Except it’s not our 2016, it’s the 2016 that would exist if humans had discovered unlimited clean energy decades ago. In other words: the sci-fi future we’ve dreamed of since the 1950’s, complete with flying cars and moon bases. This power source has even led to a breakthrough in a new field: time travel. Tom’s father heads up that project, and got Tom a nominal job on the team in an attempt to give his life some structure. When a seemingly minor event dominoes into a major catastrophe for the timeline, Tom finds himself in a different 2016: ours. To him, it’s a dystopian wasteland. But certain parts of his life in this new reality are actually… better. He finds himself facing a choice between fixing the timeline and restoring the techno-utopia he came from (if he can), or forging a new life in this new reality.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s hard to discuss stories about time travel without giving things away, so forgive the semi-vagueness of this review. Tom as a narrator is funny and engaging. You sympathize with him, while also going ‘oh my god, you idiot!’ occasionally. There’s a good play of interpersonal dynamics and slight cause-and-effect plot twists. Events unfold (mostly) as realistically as they can, given the premise, but the author still manages to throw a few surprises in. It’s an entertaining and well-written story.

One of my favorite parts of this book is how the author deals with the classic time travel paradox: if you go back in time and change things, then return to your original time, wouldn’t things (namely: you) be completely different? I’m not going to give it away here. I’ll just say that it was a new way I’ve seen of handling that issue, and it was done well.

If you like time travel adventures with relatable narrators, give this a go. It just came out this week!

I give it 4.5/5 stars.

I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book from Penguin Random House First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, you read that right. Tuesday Treasure Trove is coming to an end. At least for now. I’ll be honest, the last few weeks have seen me seriously reduce the amount of time I’m spending reading news sites or on social media, simply because all of the news out of Washington makes me angry. Like, really angry, anxiety-inducing angry. Since those are my two big sources of the articles and tidbits I share with you for TTT, I honestly just don’t have anything left to share once you take those away. So, at least for the moment, Tuesday Treasure Trove is going away. I reserve the right to bring it back in the future, but don’t have any solid plans to do so at the moment. I’ll play it by feel.

If you find yourself in need of some news, fun facts and snark, I have two suggestions to hold you over in the meantime:

The Skimm, a Monday-Friday daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on world news. Mostly-neutral reporting, but with a good dose of slang and snark to keep it fun.

NextDraft, also a Monday-Friday daily newsletter. Dave Pell curates the internet not only for important recent news, but also weird news, random tidbits, and witty asides. Definitely leans liberal, but then so has TTT.

You can still count on this blog for weekly bookish posts, the occasional life post, and maybe I’ll even bring recipe posts back (I’ve been meaning to for awhile). I hope I’ll still see you around.

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http://dragonflightdreams.com/2017/02/03/recent-reads-5/#respondFri, 03 Feb 2017 13:23:30 +0000http://dragonflightdreams.com/?p=11188I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately (who, me?) and wanted to catch you up on some of the highlights. Here’s what I’ve enjoyed recently:

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye.
A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre, this novel follows the protagonist through similar life events: an uncaring aunt, abusive schoolmaster, refuge in a country house as a governess with a brooding master. There is one big difference, though – this Jane has escaped each horrid circumstance by killing her tormentor, leaving a trail of bodies behind her. Is she truly wicked, or a victim fighting back against cruelty? Will she unravel the mystery of her new home and find love, or will her past catch up with her? This was a wildly good read, entertaining and evocative of the literature it’s based off of. There’s a good bit of mystery, a good bit of romance, and a few unexpected bits. If you’re a fan of the original Jane Eyre, and murder mysteries, give this a go.4/5 stars.

The Dowser Series by Meghan Ciana Doidge.
Jade is a half-witch who just wants to run her bakery in peace. Her particular magic talent, though, is rare. When black magic, vampires and werewolves descend on her town, she finds herself right in the middle of it. And wondering what the non-witch half of her might be. This is a 6-book series that follows Jade through discovering who she is, dealing with some horrible stuff, and coming into her own. The books are all pretty short (in fact, books 1-3 could’ve been condensed into 1 book, and the same for books 4-6), and light, easy reads. The story is entertaining, and Jade is likable enough to keep you caring. I did get a little tired of some of the books’ gimmicks (overload on details about cupcakes, chocolate and shoes) and certain plot points were VERY predictable, but not enough to stop me reading. There’s good banter, plenty of romance, and a fun new twist on dragons. Overall, an enjoyable series. If you like urban fantasy with some sexy times, give this a go.3/5 stars.

The Tainted Accords by Kelly St. Clare.
What do you get when two opposite worlds (one of fire, one of ice) loathe one another but depend on each other for survival? A very tenuous peace. When Olina (princess of the fire world) unexpectedly befriends Kedrick (prince of the ice world) during a peace delegation, she has no idea the events she’s about to set in motion. This 4-book series centers on Olina- her history with her mother, the secret behind her veil, her journey to independence and identity, and (of course) the fate of the two worlds. It’s got something for everyone: romance, adventure, intrigue, danger, mystery and some surprises thrown in for good measure. While Olina occasionally annoyed me with her reactions to certain situations, it was in line with her character and history. The supporting characters are really well done. The banter is excellent. The world-builing is unique, and the dichotomy it sets up between the two cultures is interesting. While the covers might lead you to believe there is magic, there is not. This is a fantasy in the sense of fictional worlds. But if you like YA with resistance plotlines and slow-growth romance, give this series a try.Bonus: this whole series available for free through Kindle Unlimited, if you have that.4/5 stars.

Things of Note:

I’ve missed the last two weeks of TTT due to some personal stuff going on, and general anxiety in our new Trump era. But I have that big beautiful list of good reading for you up above to make up for it. Have at it, and I’ll see you next week as usual.

PS: If you like these TTT readworthy posts and want to get them straight to your inbox, sign up here.

Tea finds out her magic isn’t like the other witches in her family in a decisive and unexpected way: she inadvertently raises her brother from the dead. This marks her as a bone witch, with power over death rather than one of the more common elements. She’s apprenticed to an older bone witch and moves to a training house in the city, to learn control over her powers and the duties of an asha (a powerful warrior witch that also functions something like a geisha). Her brother (her familiar) accompanies her. There is the usual training montage and house politics, and the setup of a love triangle. The world-building is well-done. The role of the ashas, the bone witches in relation to demons, and the heartglasses that everyone carries are all interesting and nuanced. It’s a great setting for the adventure and intrigue that ensue.

The story unfolds in two alternating parts. The first part is Tea in the present, banished to an isolated beach where a bard visits her to learn her tale. The second part is Tea’s telling to that bard, of her past and her journey as a bone witch. Along the way we get hints (and later some big ol’ give-aways) at how those two storylines meet up. Tellingly, her brother is not with her on the beach, though she mentions a dead boy she mourns. She also demonstrates a surprising new power in relation to the demons.

I’m a bit annoyed with the end of this first book. Instead of keeping the mystery of Tea’s lost love going for book 2, it gets revealed, and to me, that really ruined the momentum of the story. It gave away too much about how certain relationships are going to go. Along similar lines, the launch of her ultimate mission at the end had the same effect- it was too definitive, too demonstrative. The author sped right past foreshadowing into just telling you what happens later, without all of the good lead-up stuff in the middle. It ruins the ending, and likely subsequent books. I get what she was going for (a kind of present and past dichotomy like in The Name of the Wind) but she doesn’t pull it off as well.

I may still pick up book 2, despite this, because it is an interesting world the author has built. And aside from having given away key points of how Tea gets to her present, I am still interested to see how her new mission goes and what comes of that. If you like fantasy tales with a bit of a dark shading, give this a try.

I give it 3.5/5 stars.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve left Twitter. It is unusable for anyone but trolls, robots and dictators. “I hate to disappoint anyone, but the breaking point for me wasn’t the trolls themselves – it was the global repercussions of Twitter’s refusal to stop them. The white supremacist, anti-feminist, isolationist, transphobic “alt-right” movement has been beta-testing its propaganda and intimidation machine on marginalised Twitter communities for years now.”

America Becomes a Stan. “Cults of personality are actually the norm in the “stans,” the Central Asian countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union, all of which are ruled by strongmen who surround themselves with tiny cliques of wealthy crony capitalists. Americans used to find the antics of these regimes, with their tinpot dictators, funny. But who’s laughing now?”

Things of Note:

Day 3 of the new year, and it’s gone pretty much as expected (personally, politically, etc.). New Years Eve was spent in a glittery dress, with the hubs and friends. It was low-key. It was the first year I haven’t seen the ball drop (on TV) in Times Square, though, so it kind of feels unreal, or unfinished.

There are some really good things coming in 2017, on a personal level. I’m hoping all of the very worrying political nonsense doesn’t shade my whole year with stress and anxiety. Time will tell.

How did you ring in the new year?

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Things of Note:

It’s the last TTT of the year! I think this was a good sampling. That final link is an especially good one, for those who found 2016 a trial.

We are back in town after spending a week with my family in Charleston. There were many nephew snuggles, laughs and good meals. Ian has officially held, fed, burped and played with a baby, though I could not convince him to try changing a diaper. I’ve got some new crafty toys to play with this coming year, and some new cookbooks to check out. Maybe I’ll even get back to posting recipes here on DD. You never know! I also hit my 2016 reading goal of 110 books, so yay for that! I’ll have to think about next year’s goal.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a fun and safe New Years this coming weekend. I’ll see you all in 2017!

What do you hope for in 2017?

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In a city high above the clouds, Kirit dreams of finally earning her wings. Flyers are the lifeblood of the city, and she longs to be a trader alongside her mother. A breach of the city’s rules, however, sees her instead conscripted into the Singers, the secretive governing body. She discovers that not only is there more to the city and its history than she’s been taught, but there’s more to her own history (and abilities) than she imagined as well. A dangerous secret and divides with the Singers’ Spire itself lead Kirit to a fork in the road: do what’s smart, or do what’s right.

This was an interesting read. It’s not the first book I’ve read centering on a city in the clouds where flying on artificial wings is the main transport (see Windhaven by GRR Martin, for one). Updraft did have an unusual twist, in that the city and its many towers are made- grown– from bone. I wish the story had focused more on the past, and how a growing city of bone could be a thing, and what the situation is on the ground far below. That would have been a really cool story. Unfortunately, it didn’t delve into that at all.

The story really focuses around two things. 1) The skymouths, weird airborne monsters that can appear out of nowhere to ravage the city. Kirit’s special talent is that her voice can repel or even maybe control them. 2) Politics and the balance/manipulation of power. The Singers are supposed to have the city’s best interests at heart, but of course someone gets corrupted by that power and simply wants to accumulate more. Kirit’s ability puts her smack in the middle of it.

I wish I could say that it was a stirring story about honor and rebellion, as I think it intended to be. But that mostly fell flat, at least for me. I never really connected with Kirit as a character. It was very much a case of Special Girl syndrome. She has a really rare talent, which alone would be enough. But then everything else difficult she has to learn or try comes so easily and naturally (and of course, that fact is commented on by other characters, just in case we readers missed it). That kind of set up rubs me the wrong way.

The whole ‘reveal’ about the Singers’ secret was not really a mystery by that point, and Kirit’s ‘plan’ for addressing it was pretty terrible. It also ended up hinging on a new kind of creature that seemed thrown in there specifically so this ending would be possible and for no other reason. This creature had no other place or purpose in the story. And again, that kind of set up rubs me the wrong way.

So overall, I got more annoyance than enjoyment out of this book. But, it did have a lot of imagination and cool details in the world-building, which gets it some bonus points. And some of the supporting characters were well-done (the twins, and a certain Singer). If you’re more tolerant of Special Girl syndrome than me, maybe give this a try.

The American Dream, Quantified at Last. “Per-capita G.D.P. is almost twice as high now [as the 1980’s]. By itself, that increase should allow most children to live better than their parents. They don’t, however, because the fruits of growth have gone disproportionately to the affluent.”

Things of Note:

This post is coming to you from the wilds of Carolina! Ok, not really the wilds. Actually my sister’s house in North Charleston. The family folk from my side are gathering here for Christmas. ⅔ of us are here already, with the remaining people arriving tonight. I get to see my mom, sisters, uncle, and adorable squishy nephew! I’m looking forward to this week. There will be lots of hanging out, good food, nephew cuddles, and holiday cheer. As it should be.

What are your plans for Christmas?

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What if all of our myths were true? When humanity started to really dominate the planet, the creatures of legend and folklore banded together to form the Pact. In order to escape humanity’s notice (and persecution), only one individual of each kind of creature would be allowed to remain, the others passing into a Sleep until the day a lasting peace might be achieved. The Remnants who stayed awake agreed to keep a low profile, not fight one another, and help enforce the Pact on any who broke it.

Red Ben Garston is the Remnant for dragonkind. He lives mostly in his human form, doing odd jobs for crooks, drinking Jack, and accumulating an ever-larger pile of treasure. Cities come and go, as do women, usually. His predictable life gets upturned when old foes normally kept at bay by the Pact show up, claiming it doesn’t protect him any more since there is another dragon awake. Except Ben doesn’t know how this is possible, as he didn’t wake any of his fellow dragons. Getting to the bottom of this mystery sets him on a quest with roots that go back millennia.

This sounds like my kind of book, right? Shape-shifting dragons are real. And I really wanted to love it. But it was just… ok. The biggest issue was that I couldn’t get into the character of Ben. I didn’t buy his love story. I didn’t buy that he was a creature several centuries old, because he certainly didn’t act like it. I didn’t really know anything about his personality and drives, and it made everything else surrounding him either unbelievable or not interesting. It didn’t help that a LARGE portion of his sections were just describing the scenery. There was a whole lot of telling rather than showing in the writing, and repetition of things already explained, which never works well for me.

The parts of the story that hover over the little girl, on the other hand, were very compelling. I almost wish that had been the main storyline and main character, rather than Ben. Once it got into the bit of ancient story coming into modern day, the book got a lot more interesting. I also quite liked the fae envoy that popped in every now and then- he had clear personality and draw.

As for the overall storyline, again, it was ok. Part mystery, part adventure, part magic. The premise was great, and I wish it had been carried off with more skill. Sadly, as is, I can only say it was baseline entertaining. The issues above meant it look me a long time to get through, even though it’s not a terribly long book. I do like the cover art, so there’s that, too.

If you like dragons and modern mystery, by all means don’t let me stop you from giving this a try. But I’ll be taking a pass on book 2 in this series.

I give it 3/5 stars, being generous

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.